0:02

You don't wake up

0:05

dreaming of McDonald's fries?

0:07

You wake up dreaming

0:09

of McDonald's hash browns.

0:11

McDonald's breakfast comes first.

0:13

But, a, b, b,

0:16

b, b. It's September the

0:18

19th, 2018. Light is fading

0:20

across the Witson days. A

0:23

collection of green and gold

0:25

islands dotted around the coral

0:27

sea, just off the coast

0:30

of Queensland, Australia. By

0:33

day, this diving paradise is

0:35

teeming with swimmers, exploring the

0:38

warm turquoise waters. People leap

0:40

from boats to revel in

0:42

the scattered multi-colored reefs hidden

0:45

below, while others stroll along

0:47

the plentiful white sandy beaches.

0:50

But with the lights fading,

0:52

the sea is now emptier.

0:54

Holiday makers have retreated to

0:57

the shore, to the mainland,

0:59

or back to their boats.

1:01

They're normally lively, lively, lively,

1:04

convivial atmosphere has subtly altered,

1:06

it is something more eerie,

1:09

as the darkening waves slosh

1:11

up and down. On the

1:13

western side of Witsunday Island,

1:16

the largest in the area,

1:18

there is an inlet known

1:20

as Sid Harbour. Here, a

1:23

smattering of small vessels bob

1:25

peacefully on the water. And

1:27

then, through the gloom. A

1:30

horrifying scream rings out across

1:32

the harbour. On board a

1:35

39-foot sailing yacht, 47-year-old Justine

1:37

Barwick is in trouble. The

1:39

floor of the boat is

1:42

slick with a frothing combination

1:44

of salt water and blood.

1:46

Trembling, trying to catch her

1:49

breath, Justine looks down at

1:51

her leg. I saw the

1:54

spurts of blood from where

1:56

my femoral artery... was. And

1:58

it wasn't just severed, it

2:01

was gone from my groin

2:03

to my knee. My thigh

2:05

was just gone. A family

2:08

and friends crowd around her,

2:10

trying their best to keep

2:13

her calm. They pack the

2:15

wound with towels and bandages,

2:18

but it's clear the trauma

2:20

is severe. What's more, any

2:22

rescue from this secluded spot

2:25

will be immensely complex and

2:27

risky. It seems Justine may

2:30

only have minutes left. It

2:32

was a very distinct

2:34

feeling that I knew

2:36

that I was very probably

2:39

going to die. Ever

2:41

wondered what you would

2:43

do when disaster strikes?

2:45

If your life depended

2:48

on your next decision,

2:50

could you make the

2:52

right choice? Welcome

2:55

to Real Survival Stories. These

2:58

are the astonishing tales of

3:00

ordinary people thrown into

3:02

extraordinary situations. People suddenly

3:05

forced to fight for

3:07

their lives. In this episode,

3:09

we meet Justine Barwick, a

3:11

47-year-old care worker. Justine

3:13

loves the Queensland coast

3:15

and takes regular trips here

3:18

to relax with their

3:20

friends and family. But one

3:22

day... Swimming in waters she's

3:25

safely explored hundreds of times

3:27

before, things take a sudden

3:29

and shocking turn. Out of

3:31

nowhere, Justine faces a monstrous

3:34

attack, a fight in the

3:36

waves, and a life-threatening injury.

3:39

I was acutely aware right

3:41

from the moment I got out of

3:43

the water that I was in massive

3:45

trouble. With major trauma to

3:48

one of the largest arteries

3:50

in her body, Life is

3:52

literally draining from her.

3:55

The countdown has started.

3:57

I just had to stay

3:59

calm. to try and just keep

4:01

my heart rate from rising because

4:03

if my heart rate rose that

4:06

I was going to bleed out

4:08

faster. I'm John Hopkins from the

4:10

Noiser podcast network. This is Real

4:12

Survival Stories. It's

4:41

September the 19th, 2018. Boats

4:44

and swimmers are scattered across

4:46

the bright blue waters of

4:49

the Witsundays. A cluster of

4:51

74 islands off Australia's northeast

4:54

coast are the heart of

4:56

the Great Barrier Reef. Colorful

4:59

fish, graceful stingrays, and serene

5:01

sea turtles glide through the

5:04

coral. Many of the surrounding

5:06

islands are uninhabited. with untouched

5:09

rainforest running down the rugged

5:11

mountains to the clear waters

5:14

below. It's a place of

5:16

stunning natural beauty. On the

5:19

edge of the Widsundi's largest

5:21

island is the popular Whitehaven

5:24

beach. Its pristine sands dotted

5:26

with sunbathers. Just beyond, among

5:29

the assorted collection of boats

5:31

undulating in the sea, is

5:34

the 39-foot sailing yacht, the

5:36

topass. On

5:38

board, Justin Bowick sits on

5:40

deck drinking at all then.

5:42

I've been a bit of

5:44

an accidental sailor because my

5:46

husband's a sailor and my

5:48

best friend's a sailor, so

5:51

I guess by default that

5:53

makes me a sailor. I

5:55

do like to go sailing

5:57

when the weather's fine, where

5:59

the conditions are predictable. and

6:01

calm, that's where I'm most

6:03

happy, but it's a great

6:05

way to experience nature and

6:07

experience the world and to

6:09

see parts of, for me,

6:11

Australia, in ways that otherwise

6:13

you wouldn't get to see

6:16

them. They are 10 days

6:18

into a three-week holiday. Craig,

6:20

her husband of 25 years,

6:22

is checking the weather forecast

6:24

for the days ahead. From

6:26

the cool waters below. Justine's

6:28

best friend Lynn shouts up

6:30

and laughs as she swims.

6:32

Lynn's daughter Michelle is on

6:34

deck, reading alongside her husband

6:36

Ben. They're enjoying the last

6:38

of the sponge cake that

6:41

Justine baked earlier. All in

6:43

all, it's a fine day

6:45

to be alive. Lynn climbs

6:47

back onto the boat, shaking

6:49

the sea from her hair

6:51

and grabbing a towel before

6:53

sharing a joke with Justine.

6:57

The pair have been firm friends

6:59

ever since Justine moved to

7:01

the port city of Bernie in

7:03

Tasmania 25 years ago. We just

7:06

clicked immediately and we've been besties

7:08

ever since. She's a pretty

7:10

special individual and we've certainly been

7:13

through so much together. We're each

7:15

other's really safe place and

7:17

we're just so supportive of each

7:20

other but also... We tell each

7:22

other how it is as well.

7:24

There's nothing that goes unsaid

7:26

between the two of us. In

7:29

2006, we were actually, we were

7:31

nuns in a musical. And during

7:34

one of the costume changes, Lynn,

7:36

as she took off her nuns

7:38

habit, she was like, oh, I've

7:41

got a lump in my

7:43

breast. And I said, oh, no,

7:45

you don't. No, you don't. Don't

7:48

be silly. But sure enough

7:50

she did in fact have a

7:52

lump in her breast and ended

7:54

up needing to have a full

7:57

mastectomy and radiation therapy and

7:59

other follow. up therapies and that

8:01

was the toughest time of my

8:04

life supporting my best friend through

8:06

that journey. But when you do

8:08

go through so much together, those

8:11

bonds are forged, they're hard bonds,

8:13

they are unbreakable bonds. Lynn's

8:15

daughter Michelle was only a teenager

8:18

at the time of the diagnosis,

8:20

so Justine took on the

8:22

role of a second mother, a

8:24

guide through choppy waters. And

8:27

today, the two families

8:29

remained close, sharing regular

8:32

cookins back home and

8:34

trips away together. The

8:36

Widson days were a

8:38

favorite spot. They've been

8:40

sailing this area over

8:42

the last five years

8:44

and know the waters

8:46

well. Today has been

8:48

another idyllic day, with little

8:50

more than the odd gust

8:52

of wind breaking up the

8:55

warmth. But

8:57

Craig has just heard that a

8:59

weather front is due to come

9:02

in. Nothing too surprising in these

9:04

tropical climbs, though not something to

9:06

ignore either. The group agrees to

9:09

sail around the coast to the

9:11

more sheltered anchorage of Sid Harbour

9:13

on the west side of the

9:16

island. Here they can hunker down,

9:18

read books, play games, and watch

9:20

movies until the weather passes. Craig

9:23

takes the helm and starts the

9:25

journey around the island. He

9:29

and Justine enjoy a good

9:31

life. They've been together for

9:33

a quarter of a century

9:35

and have raised two daughters.

9:38

Craig taught the Girls to

9:40

sail at the local yacht

9:42

club and we just had

9:44

a lovely, lovely time raising

9:46

our family in Bernie. He's

9:48

an incredible guy. He's a

9:50

very logical, rational guy. He's

9:53

not prone to, you know,

9:55

outbursts of emotion or anger

9:57

or anything like that. He's

9:59

really calm. He's funny and...

10:01

He's a very practical guy

10:03

as well. You need a

10:05

bookshelf built. He's a guy.

10:08

You need your car serviced.

10:10

He'll get into that for

10:12

you. It's late afternoon as

10:14

Craig sails the group into

10:16

Sid Harbour, a curved mouth

10:18

of water, semi-encircled by beaches

10:20

and lush green. It never

10:23

fails to take the breath

10:25

away. It's

10:27

absolutely gorgeous. You can sit on

10:29

the deck of your boat and

10:32

you can listen to the birds

10:34

that are in the trees at

10:36

Sid Harbour. The bird song sort

10:38

of floats across the water. You

10:40

get a great outlook over the

10:42

islands. It's sheltered. It's quiet, even

10:45

if there are quite a few

10:47

boats there, being a sheltered anchorage,

10:49

it's quite popular, but it's just

10:51

really lovely. This

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bucks for $25 bucks. The

14:05

group drops anchor around 4.45

14:07

p.m. A good number of

14:09

crews have had a similar

14:12

idea. Around 60 boats are

14:14

here already, sheltering in the cove.

14:16

For now, the weather remains

14:18

calm. Craig heads below deck

14:20

with Ben to chill some

14:23

drinks for sundown. Michelle and

14:25

Lynn are drying off after

14:27

their latest dip. As the

14:29

afternoon morphs into evening...

14:31

Justine decides to go

14:34

for one last swim

14:36

herself. She stands with

14:38

her toes curled over the

14:40

edge of the boat and

14:42

breathes in deeply. Taking in

14:45

the sprawling sea, the verdant

14:47

islets, the enormous sky. She

14:49

kicks off from the boat

14:51

and dives, plunging deep

14:54

into the blue. The water

14:56

is cool and refreshing.

14:58

Bubbles flower past her

15:00

face. And for a few

15:02

moments, everything is

15:04

tranquil. Just in turns

15:07

and kicks up towards

15:09

the surface. She rises,

15:11

eyes closed, totally unaware

15:13

of what's around her. And

15:15

that's when, from below,

15:17

a juggernaut strikes. The

15:19

water was beautiful and refreshing.

15:22

But then as my head

15:24

resurfaced on my way back

15:26

up from my dive, that's

15:28

when the shark hit my

15:30

leg and bit into my

15:32

leg. Justine is flung around

15:35

in the water as

15:37

the powerful creature clamps

15:39

down with vice-like jaws.

15:41

It's razor-sharp fangs, serrating

15:43

her leg. This aggressive

15:45

apex predator is a

15:47

tiger shark. I

15:49

don't have the words to describe

15:52

that force and I don't remember

15:54

saying it, but apparently I said

15:56

get it off me, get it

15:58

off me. Tiger

16:08

sharks can grow up to 18 feet

16:10

long. Alongside bulls and great

16:12

whites, tigers are statistically one

16:15

of the most dangerous species

16:17

of shark, one of the most likely

16:19

to bite. They can, and do, eat

16:21

almost anything, and have even

16:24

been known to attack boats.

16:26

That said, what's happening to

16:28

Justine is totally unexpected. While

16:30

there are some sightings of

16:32

sharks, in parts of the woods

16:34

and parts of the woods

16:37

and days. There's never before

16:39

been a recorded attack in

16:41

Sid Harbor. As the tiger

16:43

clamps down on her thigh,

16:45

Justine starts to fight back,

16:47

crying out for help and

16:50

attempting to force herself away

16:52

from its immense grip. The

16:54

water around her starts to

16:56

turn crimson. In the frenzy,

16:59

it's a blur, but

17:01

somehow, mercifully, Justine manages

17:03

herself from its mouth.

17:06

The pressure on her leg

17:08

lessens, and she's free. I

17:10

thought it was just a really

17:12

smooth push. I just encouraged this

17:15

tiger shark off my leg, but

17:17

it wasn't that easy. And I

17:19

turned and swum to the boat

17:21

and I remember being just so

17:23

stunned that I was so close

17:26

to the stern of the boat

17:28

because I would never dive in

17:30

as close to the stern of

17:32

the boat as what I was.

17:34

I was literally only two or

17:37

three swim strokes away from the

17:39

stern of the boat so that

17:41

confused me but I think that push

17:43

and that force with which the shark

17:45

hit me, I think it... pushed me

17:48

closer to the stern of the boat

17:50

and when I pushed the shark away

17:52

I think I didn't in fact push

17:54

the shark away I probably pushed myself

17:56

back off the shark. Greg

18:02

and Ben hear her shouts and

18:04

race to the back of the

18:06

boat. They see her beneath them,

18:08

flailing in an expanding pool of

18:10

red. She has to get out

18:13

of the water immediately. Thrashing her

18:15

arms and kicking with her uninjured

18:17

left leg, Justine manages to battle

18:19

her way to the swim ladder.

18:21

She grasps it with both hands,

18:23

but is unable to climb up.

18:26

She dangles in the water, her

18:28

lower half perilously exposed. Craig

18:31

and Ben reach down and haul

18:33

her onto the boat, placing her

18:35

on the floor of the

18:37

yacht's enclosed cockpit. She's

18:39

out of the water, away from the

18:42

shark, but the relief is

18:44

short-lived. Glancing down, Justine

18:46

sees for the first time

18:48

the full damage to her right

18:51

leg. At that point,

18:53

I knew I was bitten

18:55

by the shark because it

18:57

couldn't have been anything else.

18:59

I remember looking down and

19:01

it was just the inside of

19:03

my thigh, all of the back, all

19:05

of the front was just gone.

19:07

It was just not there and

19:09

I could see bone and I

19:11

thought this was really serious.

19:13

And then I saw the spits

19:16

of blood from where my femoral

19:18

artery was. And it wasn't just

19:20

severed, it was gone from my

19:23

groin to my knee. My thigh was

19:25

just gone. It's not an image

19:27

that I will ever forget. The

19:29

femoral artery is the main supply

19:31

of blood to the lower body.

19:34

Damage to it often means

19:36

a death sentence, as blood

19:38

loss is so rapid. Justine could

19:40

die in less than five minutes.

19:42

There in isolated spot,

19:45

three miles from the mainland.

19:47

By all metrics, the situation

19:49

is incredibly bleak. I

19:51

was acutely aware right from the

19:53

moment I got out of the

19:56

water that I was in massive

19:58

trouble. Everyone jumps. into

20:00

action. Immediately Craig applies pressure

20:02

to her leg, grabbing a

20:04

nearby towel and smothering the

20:06

wound. Ben seizes other towels,

20:08

which Craig twists around to

20:10

secure the first. Lynn leaps

20:13

across Justine to reach the

20:15

first aid kit, zipping it

20:17

open as she runs back.

20:19

As a volunteer paramedic, she's

20:21

well placed to give emergency

20:23

help. She tears open the

20:25

bandages and starts winding around

20:27

the makeshift dressing. It's

20:29

better than nothing, but for a

20:32

wound this severe, it can only

20:34

stem the flow for so long.

20:36

Craig, my legs elevated, so he

20:39

literally, he could not go anywhere.

20:41

So it was Lynn who was

20:44

running around getting bandages and coming

20:46

to my head and talking to

20:48

me probably every 30 seconds or

20:51

every minute that she would be

20:53

coming to me and talking to

20:55

me and making sure that she

20:58

could get a response from me.

21:00

Michelle has grabbed the marine radio,

21:03

making the May Day call to

21:05

alert other boats nearby. It was,

21:07

in fact, Justine and Craig who

21:10

trained her how to use the

21:12

radio when she was younger. Skills,

21:14

which could now mean the difference

21:17

between life and death. Ben climbs

21:19

into the cabin and calls 100

21:21

for the emergency services, giving as

21:24

much detail as possible. It's

21:27

all action around Justine as she

21:29

lies there, doing all she can

21:32

to remain level headed. I'd seen

21:34

the hole in my leg and

21:36

I knew that I couldn't do

21:38

anything aside from stay calm, that

21:40

panicking wasn't an option for me

21:42

at that time that I... I

21:44

just literally had to stay calm

21:46

to try and just keep my

21:48

heart rate from rising because I

21:50

knew from my first aid courses

21:53

back in the day that if

21:55

my heart rate rose that I

21:57

was going to bleed out faster.

22:00

She draws on whatever inner

22:02

resources she can, even using

22:05

methods she's learned in yoga

22:07

over the last decade, concentrating

22:09

on filling her belly deeply

22:11

with breath and releasing it

22:13

slowly to the count of

22:15

five. But it can only

22:17

do so much. It was

22:19

a very distinct feeling that

22:21

I knew that I was

22:23

very probably going to die.

22:25

There was no panic that

22:27

came with that for me.

22:29

There was a sadness, but

22:31

there was also an acceptance

22:33

of it as well. I

22:35

had some really rational thoughts.

22:37

I started to think, well,

22:39

we have a wheel, so

22:41

tick, that'll be fine. You

22:43

know, at the time Craig

22:45

was only 52, and I

22:47

thought, okay, he's young enough

22:49

to find somebody else and

22:51

be happy again. That's okay.

22:53

The girls were in their

22:55

early 20s. And I thought,

22:57

well, yeah, I've raised... two

22:59

really top chicks, amazing young

23:02

women and they'll be sad

23:04

but they'll have great memories

23:06

so they'll be okay because

23:08

I know they're strong. Lynn

23:10

moves closer and kneels by

23:12

Justine's side. The two friends

23:14

lock eyes as the darkness

23:16

grows and the colour seeps

23:19

from Justine's face. And

23:23

I started to say to

23:26

Lynn, I think I'm going

23:28

to die. And she was

23:30

very firm with me, and

23:33

she told me I wasn't

23:35

allowed to die, and her

23:38

words were actually, not on

23:40

my what-you-not. So I clearly

23:42

wasn't even allowed to die.

23:45

With her best friend and

23:47

her husband close by, Justine

23:49

clings on. Meanwhile, crews from

23:52

other boats floating nearby in

23:54

the harbour. have heard the

23:56

Mayday call and are moving

23:59

in. Soon a mini armada

24:01

arrives, vessels of all shapes

24:03

and sizes, herring towards the

24:06

topaz to offer additional supplies

24:08

and aid. We were very

24:11

prepared sailors, but nobody's prepared

24:13

for that. So some boats

24:15

came in their tenders in

24:18

their little dinghies and bought

24:20

bandages, and I remember bandage

24:22

after bandage would come. A

24:25

silver-haired bearded man stands on

24:27

the edge of his yacht.

24:29

This is Dr. John Haddock.

24:32

He's considering a final swim

24:34

of the day. One last

24:36

opportunity to cool off before

24:39

getting ready for dinner. He

24:41

looks down to the swaying

24:44

serene waters and goes to

24:46

jump. When a small motorized

24:48

dinggy suddenly appears with two

24:51

sailors on board. They shout.

24:53

and wave their arms. They

24:55

hurry to explain the situation

24:58

to the doctor. A woman

25:00

has been attacked by a

25:02

shark. She's in desperate need

25:05

of help. They couldn't have

25:07

come across a better person

25:09

in the circumstances. Instantly, John

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responses for accuracy for accuracy. And

30:02

now comes the most complex

30:04

stage of her survival. The

30:06

rescue helicopter is speeding her

30:08

way, on board a pilot,

30:10

a flight paramedic and a

30:12

crew officer. Fortunately, they weren't

30:14

far from the topaz when

30:16

they got the call, carrying

30:19

out a routine task nearby.

30:21

But this means they're already

30:23

low on fuel. There's no

30:25

time to lose. Justine has

30:27

to get to the open

30:29

ocean. with

30:31

the mast and the boom and

30:34

the spreaders and everything that's on

30:36

a yacht. The helicopter can't get

30:38

near that. It's not safe. Due

30:40

to the conditions, the helicopter couldn't

30:43

land on the beach. So that

30:45

wasn't an option. So the option

30:47

that they landed on was that

30:50

I was transferred to the dinghy.

30:52

The bright yellow dinghy is attached

30:54

to the stern of the yacht,

30:56

normally reserved for leisure trips to

30:59

the shore. It's

31:01

all hands to the pump, as

31:03

team Justine gets to work. Quickly,

31:05

the seats are removed from the

31:07

dingy to make more space. At

31:10

the same time, Lynn pulls over

31:12

one of the cockpit's long seat

31:14

cushions to use as a makeshift

31:16

stretcher. They need to keep Justine

31:18

flat when they move her. Lynn

31:20

holds her friend's head steady and

31:23

instructs the group to surround her,

31:25

spreading the weight between them. She

31:27

tells Justine to just keep breathing.

31:30

Craig continues to keep his

31:32

wife's legs elevated, and on

31:35

account of three, they all

31:37

transfer her in one move

31:40

across to the stretcher, then

31:42

raise her up and over

31:44

the stern, easing her down

31:47

onto the tender. Some bystanders

31:49

actually helped John Craig, Ben

31:52

Michelle and Lynn lift me

31:54

into the dinghy, because that

31:56

had to be obviously done

31:59

very carefully as to not

32:01

move that huge dressing that

32:04

was... effectively stemming the blood

32:06

flow. As the surface of

32:08

the sea heaves, Lynn holds

32:11

her breath as they stowed

32:13

Justine in the dinghy. It's

32:15

agreed only Craig and John

32:18

will journey out with her.

32:20

Tears start to well as

32:23

Lynn lets her friend go.

32:25

There's nothing more she can

32:27

do. The

32:30

sun is disappearing beyond the

32:32

horizon, as Craig takes to

32:35

the helm and chugs the

32:37

dingy away from the yacht.

32:39

John keeps monitoring Justine, as

32:41

Craig weaves between the other

32:44

boats towards clear open water.

32:46

In the distance, the sound

32:48

of rapid rotor blades begins

32:50

to reverberate across the waves.

32:53

Closer and closer, the two

32:55

crafts move. Through the intense

32:57

down-draft of the chopper, Craig

33:00

guides the little dinggy with

33:02

focus. and skill. For Craig

33:04

to be positioning a tiny

33:06

dingy underneath the downforce of

33:09

that helicopter was just incredible

33:11

presence of mind given the

33:13

situation and just great boatsmanship

33:16

skills as well. I remember

33:18

the force of the helicopter

33:20

and I remember it was

33:22

like being in a storm.

33:25

in a hurricane. Spray and

33:27

salt water crash onto the

33:29

dingy. John was reminding me

33:31

to breathe because that was

33:34

actually quite tough to remember

33:36

to breathe and so every

33:38

time I had to breathe

33:41

out I'd have to blow

33:43

the sea water out because

33:45

waves would have got into

33:47

my mouth when I was

33:50

breathing. The helicopter is struggling

33:52

to get close enough. The

33:54

waves churn harder. forcing the

33:57

dingy further away. The pilot

33:59

pulls back a game, but

34:01

the fuel is running lower

34:03

and lower. The crew have

34:06

a big call to make.

34:08

To get to Justine, somebody

34:10

will have to brave the

34:13

waters. One of the rescue

34:15

workers named Ben steps up.

34:17

Been from that rescue helicopter

34:19

had to make a decision.

34:22

Basically it's now or never

34:24

and this is as good

34:26

as it's going to get.

34:28

And so he then dropped

34:31

into the water where I'd,

34:33

you know, a couple of

34:35

hours ago been bitten by

34:38

shark, which is just incredible

34:40

bravery. Ben bullets into the

34:42

water. With a gasp, he

34:44

resurfaces, getting his bearings and

34:47

swimming towards the dinggy. He

34:49

reaches the crafts and bundles

34:51

himself on board, rescue harness

34:54

at the ready. Instantly

34:56

he begins work to winch

34:58

Justine up to the helicopter.

35:00

Because the helicopter in fact

35:03

had been diverted from another

35:05

mission, they had in fact

35:07

been tasked for a shark

35:09

attack at all. They didn't

35:11

have the appropriate harness that

35:14

I should have gone up

35:16

in like to keep me

35:18

horizontal with that femoral artery

35:20

sever and I remember John

35:22

being very concerned about that.

35:24

They got me into a

35:27

harness and I was strapped

35:29

to Ben, but unfortunately my

35:31

legs were dangling down and

35:33

John was very concerned that

35:35

I might not have made

35:38

the winch up into the

35:40

helicopter. Justine beckons Craig to

35:42

come close, whispering something to

35:44

her husband. Neither knows if

35:46

there'll be the last words

35:48

they speak to each other.

35:51

Then the winch pulls taught

35:53

and she's raised with Ben.

35:55

towards the dazzling lights above.

35:57

helicopter and the paramedic making

35:59

his assessment of the situation,

36:02

but things do start to

36:04

get quite tough for me

36:06

at that point just through

36:08

lack of blood. My blood

36:10

pressure was unrecordable. So I

36:13

was in a world of

36:15

pain then and that's actually

36:17

my first memory of actual

36:19

pain. It has taken 45

36:21

minutes to complete the retrieval

36:23

and it's been two hours

36:26

since the attack. Justine

36:28

has lost pints of blood.

36:31

It needs to be replenished

36:33

immediately. But they don't have

36:35

enough fuel to reach the

36:38

closest hospital. So the crew

36:40

radio ahead for blood to

36:42

be delivered to the nearest

36:45

refueling station. They just have

36:47

to hope that will buy

36:49

her enough time. different pictures

36:52

in sensations. After refueling, Justine

36:54

is airlifted again to Makai

36:56

Base Hospital, which has a

36:59

large resuscitation team awaiting her.

37:01

Her chances of survival are

37:03

put at just 20%. I

37:06

was taken to surgery where

37:08

they... did some an operation

37:10

called vasiotomies which is basically

37:13

where they released toxic blood

37:15

that would have been trapped

37:17

in the lower part of

37:20

my limb so that once

37:22

they repaired my femoral artery

37:24

that that wasn't returned to

37:27

my body because that would

37:29

do damage and make me

37:31

unwell or kill me. It

37:34

takes hours of painstaking intricate

37:36

work from surgeons. Throughout Justine

37:38

is teetering right on the

37:41

edge. I've got a large

37:43

scale where they took a

37:45

large piece of vein from

37:48

my left leg that they

37:50

used to give me a

37:52

new femoral artery on my

37:54

right leg. The size of

37:57

the bite, it's... It's enormous.

37:59

It's from, yeah, just below

38:01

my groin to just above

38:04

my knee. And then they

38:06

basically stabilised me. They put

38:08

me into ICU. They kept

38:11

me asleep this whole time.

38:13

And I think it was

38:15

around 2 or 3 o'clock

38:18

in the morning that Craig

38:20

and Leon and Michelle and

38:22

Ben were allowed to see

38:25

me and ICU. to the

38:27

Royal Brisbane Hospital for 18

38:29

more hours of reconstructive surgery.

38:32

To save her leg, nerve

38:34

grafts are carried out. Muscle

38:36

and skin are taken from

38:39

her belly and used to

38:41

recreate the area of her

38:43

thigh that was bitten away.

38:46

Justine is kept unconscious for

38:48

several days. and it's certainly

38:50

a really scary environment. And

38:53

then they started to raise

38:55

my level of awareness and

38:57

that was quite a difficult

39:00

process of waking up. I

39:02

wasn't strong enough to breathe

39:04

for myself so I was

39:07

still intubated which meant that

39:09

I couldn't. talk at all

39:11

so I couldn't tell anybody

39:14

that I was scared or

39:16

that I was worried about

39:18

anything and that I have

39:21

to say was probably the

39:23

scariest part of the whole

39:25

episode is being so isolated,

39:28

being incubated, being scared. It

39:30

was really great to see

39:32

to see my family even

39:35

if I couldn't talk to

39:37

them it just made me

39:39

feel much safer. I'm

41:08

ready for my life to change.

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41:19

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begins. Carry Underwood joins Lionel

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Ritchie, Luke Bryan, and Ryan

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Seaprest on American Idol. New

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Sundays, 8-7 Central on ABC

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and Stream on Hulu. A

44:01

year after the incident, she returns

44:03

to the Woodson days to meet

44:06

the team that rescued her. I

44:08

started to wonder if I could

44:11

ever go sailing again. I also

44:13

was asking questions about what happened

44:15

on the day, and I just

44:18

really wanted to help my brain

44:20

to understand exactly what had happened.

44:23

I had questions for the paramedic

44:25

from the helicopter, I had questions

44:27

for the helicopter pilot, I had

44:30

questions for the crew and I

44:32

had questions for John and Craig

44:34

said, well, let's go, let's just

44:37

let's go and just meet them

44:39

and Jean and his beautiful wife

44:42

Janice said, yeah, stay with us,

44:44

yeah, come and stay at our

44:46

place. So we went and we

44:49

had a few days sailing. So

44:51

yeah, I think healing was behind

44:53

the trip and giving my brain.

44:56

some more pieces of the puzzle.

44:58

Justine speaks highly of all the

45:01

rescues, doctors and strangers who helped

45:03

her that day. But she also

45:05

praises her own crew, the friends

45:08

and family that saved her and

45:10

continued to support her today. People

45:13

only see the inspiring side of

45:15

trauma, but there's a gnarly, gritty.

45:17

horrible side of it as well.

45:20

And both of those sides are

45:22

necessary. So to have a crew

45:24

around you who accept that gnarly

45:27

side as well, that's been really

45:29

gold. The biggest thing that I

45:32

have learned is that I underestimated

45:34

myself my whole life. For some

45:36

reason I had to wait until

45:39

I had a shark hanging off

45:41

my inner thigh before I knew

45:43

that I was actually strong. So

45:46

I've learned that I'm capable of

45:48

a lot more than what I

45:51

gave myself credit for. On one

45:53

of the anniversaries of the shark

45:55

attack, I was having a meeting

45:58

with somebody. She said, I bet

46:00

you wish that you could go

46:02

back and not dive in the

46:05

water. water that day. I said,

46:07

no, I actually don't because I

46:10

never want to be the girl

46:12

who doesn't dive in the water.

46:14

I never want to be the

46:17

girl who is too scared to

46:19

do anything, you know, because the

46:22

chances of me on that day

46:24

and that location in those conditions

46:26

being bitten by a shark were

46:29

absolutely minuscule. And if we let

46:31

fear paralyzes, you know, then what

46:33

does life look like? If a

46:36

medical professional looked at it on

46:38

paper, they would say this person

46:41

should not have survived. So yeah,

46:43

I like to think mine is

46:45

the story of gratitude and determination.

46:48

Next time on Real Survival Stories,

46:50

we meet British Kaver Dick Willis.

46:54

In 1977, he joins

46:57

an expedition to the

46:59

deepest known cave in

47:01

the world. But while

47:03

Dick and his friends

47:05

Andy and Paul are

47:08

thousands of feet underground,

47:10

an electrical storm breaks

47:12

out above, sending torrents

47:14

of water cascading into

47:17

the caves. As the

47:19

water level rises, the

47:21

race to escape is

47:23

on. Listen to Dick's story

47:26

today without waiting a week by subscribing to

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